Train Smart, Not Hard:
The Secret to Becoming a Champion Without Burning Out

The Pain of Doing It the Hard Way

I was 33 years old and thought I was invincible.

I had just wrapped up a grueling shift at the Hyperion Water Treatment Plant next to LAX.

The kind of day where every step felt like a war of attrition against concrete, steel, and deadlines.

I was sunburned, dehydrated, and my boots were soaked with sweat.

But instead of resting, I drove straight to the dojang.

Why?

Because I was “hardcore.”

A warrior.

No rest for the wicked.

That’s what I told myself anyway.

I suited up, tightened my black belt, and stepped onto the mat ready for battle.

Four hours later, I was wrecked.

Couldn’t feel my fingers.

My legs felt like they were filled with cement.

I made sloppy mistakes I never made before—missed a block, got swept, pulled something in my back that would haunt me for the next month.

And the worst part?

• Nobody cared.
• No one raised a glass to toast my discipline.
• Nobody gave me a medal for showing up tired.

All I got was pain.

Injury.

Setbacks.

That’s when I started to question the way I trained (again!).

Not whether I had the heart—but whether I had the wisdom.

Because being tough is easy.

Being smart? That’s where champions are made.

The Champion Who Trained Smart

Georges St-Pierre, aka GSP, is one of the greatest fighters in UFC history.

• 26 wins.
• 2 losses—both of which he avenged.
• Tied for the longest UFC win streak at 13 consecutive wins, alongside other greats like Jon Jones, Khabib (THE GOAT!), Max Holloway (Hawaiian Warrior!), and Demetrious Johnson (Mighty Mouse!).

He’s a black belt in Kyokushin Karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

He’s beaten legends, defended his title multiple times, and walked away at the top of his game.

So how did he do it?

He trained smart, not hard.

GSP didn’t buy into the “go hard or go home” nonsense.

He wasn’t trying to break his body to prove his heart.

His longtime coach, Firas Zahabi of TriStar Gym in Canada, explained GSP’s secret in an interview that should be required watching for every aspiring warrior.

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👉 Watch the clip here (3 mins)​
👉 Full 3-hour conversation here​

In the video, Firas explains a principle that completely flipped the way I looked at training—and life.

Wait, what?

That goes against everything we’re taught growing up—especially as men.

No pain, no gain.
Go harder.
You can rest when you’re dead.

Sound familiar?

It’s all ego. And it’s all wrong.

Why Intensity Is Overrated (And Dangerous)

Let’s get something straight: this doesn’t mean you don’t push yourself.

It means you push yourself the right way. The smart way. The long game way.

Here’s what happens when you train too hard:

• You break down.
• You get injured.
• You plateau.
• You start to resent the work.
• You burn out.

That’s not warrior spirit.

That’s short-sighted ego.

Instead of showing up daily and growing consistently, you show up once or twice, kill yourself, and then disappear for a week.

That’s the equivalent of trying to get rich by gambling your paycheck on a single spin of the roulette wheel.

Champions play the long game.

The Wisdom of Compounding

I’ve talked before about the 1% Compounding Effect.​

It’s one of the most powerful forces in the universe.

You improve just 1% a day, and in a year, you’re 37x better than when you started.

But guess what?

You can’t improve 1% a day if you’re laid up in bed sore or injured.

You can’t build habits if you’re too exhausted to show up consistently.

The magic of the compounding effect only works if you’re consistent.

That’s what Firas is talking about.

That’s what GSP understood better than most.

Train at a level where you can come back tomorrow—and the next day—and the next.

• Don’t fry your nervous system.
• Don’t crush your joints.
• Don’t burn out your fire.

Keep the flame lit.

Keep showing up.

Keep getting 1% better every damn day.

The Flow Channel:
Where Smart Warriors Live

There’s a psychological concept called the Flow Channel, and it’s pure gold if you want to get better at anything.

Here’s the idea:

• If something is too easy, you get bored.
• If something is too hard, you get overwhelmed.
• But if something is just a little above your current skill level? You enter flow—that sweet spot of growth and engagement.

This is where champions train.

Not at redline intensity.

Not on autopilot.

But right at that edge where they’re challenged—without being crushed.

That’s where skill compounds. That’s where mastery is born.

Firas says GSP would often leave training feeling like he could have done more.

Why?

Because he trained in the Flow Channel.

• He built momentum.
• He preserved his energy.
• He won the next day—and the next—until he won the belt.

Why Smart Training Isn’t Just About the Gym

This principle isn’t just for fighters or athletes.

It applies to everything:

• Your business
• Your relationships
• Your creative work
• Your personal leadership

Want to build a meaningful side hustle?

Don’t kill yourself working 12 hours after your day job.

Start with one focused hour a day.

That’s how consistency becomes a habit.

Want to get in better shape?

Don’t do 2-hour workouts and wreck your body.

Start with daily movement that leaves you energized, not exhausted.

Want to deepen your relationship?

Don’t plan a 3-week Bali getaway.

Start by having 10 minutes of real conversation every day.

You’re building a lifestyle, not chasing a trophy.

“But What About Grit?”

Good question.

Grit still matters.

Resilience.

Discipline.

Showing up when it’s hard.

All that stuff is still critical.

But grit doesn’t mean grinding yourself into the ground.

• Smart warriors train with longevity in mind.
• Smart leaders don’t waste energy proving something.
• Smart badasses know when to push and when to pull back.

That’s real strength.

Putting It On the Mat

About five years ago, I stumbled across that Firas Zahabi clip on YouTube.

It blew my mind.

I was in my early 50s, just starting to get back on the mat again.

I had already been through 35 years of construction.

I had made every mistake in the book—overtrained, burned out, ignored injuries, worn hustle like a badge of honor.

And here was this quiet, soft-spoken coach talking about not being sore after workouts?

My first reaction? “This guy’s crazy.”

My second reaction? “This guy’s right.”

Because I had lived the other path.

I had chased the grind.

I had worshipped intensity.

And I paid for it—with surgeries, pain, setbacks, and regrets.

Since then, I’ve watched that clip at least a dozen times.

Sometimes I play it when I catch myself slipping back into that old ego-driven mindset.

You know the one:

• “Go harder.”
• “Do more.”
• “Suck it up.”

But now I ask a better question:

“Can I do this again tomorrow?”

If the answer is no, I scale it back.
If the answer is yes, I’m on the right track.

That’s how I stay in the game.
That’s how I show up 7 days a week at BJJ.
That’s how I live a life of peace, power, and progress.

And that’s how you can, too.

Here’s Your Challenge This Week:

1. Watch the Firas Zahabi Clip.​
Seriously, 3 minutes. Life-changing. Click here.​

2. Ask Yourself This Before Every Session (Workout, Workday, Whatever):

If the answer is no, back off 10-20%.
Find your flow channel.
Make consistency the goal.

3. Stop Trying to Impress the World.​
Nobody cares how hard you work.
But you will care if you’re broken at 40. Or 30. Or 25.

4. Train Like GSP.​
With discipline. With control.
With longevity. With intelligence.
With the heart of a warrior—and the wisdom of a leader.

Final Thought

Anyone can train hard.

Few train smart.

Fewer still train smart for decades, long enough to build something legendary.

You want to be a warrior?

A leader?

A badass?

Then stop trying to prove something today that will cost you tomorrow.

Train like you’ve got something to build.
Train like you’ve got something to protect.
Train like you plan to be around in 10, 20, 30 years—still sharp, still strong, still standing.

Be like GSP.

Now go put it on the mat. 👊

P.S. If you found this content helpful, I have a favor to ask.

Actually two of them, a selfish one and a not-so-selfish one.

First the selfish one, if this was helpful to you, forward it to someone you think it might help. That helps me to grow my reach.

Now the not-selfish one, the one thing I learned on the mat and on the job was that the most successful leaders were not the ones who knew the most but were the ones who applied and taught the most.

So, if you want to be a better leader, do two things, take immediate action on what you learned today AND share it with someone else. You'll look badass, I promise you.

Also, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, hit me up, reply to this email and let me know what's going on and how I can help you to be a better warrior, leader, and badass.

Thank you, I appreciate you being here in The Daily Dojo, you can learn more at CharlesDoublet.com​